The Thestral Wisher (Sequel to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child)
by Perspective Provider
Summary: It's been nearly a year since Albus and Scorpius have saved the world from disaster, and now, as they enter their fifth year, another chance is coming up, this one more dangerous than before. Along with Rose, Hugo, Lily, and James, all of the next generation children in Harry Potter will get the chance to grow, learn, and prove themselves once and for all. (M Content later on.)
1. 1 - The Younger Two

**\- A/N** **-**

Ok, I've just finished reading _Harry Potter and the Cursed Child_ , and, I confess, I was too excited about it _not_ to write a fanfiction, so here I am! Considering that this is my first Harry Potter fanfiction and that I may be tempted to write more fanfictions using characters from the original seven books rather than the eighth, which is like going back in time, I guess that this is a rather odd choice for my first dive into the Harry Potter universe, but nevertheless hope that it is accepted.

Now, because the book has only recently come out a few days ago, I don't expect many people to have read it. I myself got lucky in placing a hold on it at my library ahead of time—and getting a freshly new copy, as a result—but don't know if many others have done the same. Even in just the suburbs, where I live, there are 33 holds on the book right now, so I can only imagine how much more chaotic it is in larger cities. Or, wait, scratch that—there are 1560 holds on 338 copies in the city nearest me. So...yeah, it'll be extremely difficult to get your hands on one this early, especially if you're not willing to pay for it. To respect both the original contents of the book and authors however, I strongly advise you **_not to read this fanfiction unless you've read the original book first_**.

That being said, this fanfiction will be focusing mainly on the new characters introduced in the eighth book, and the relationships and adventures that they will have. As for what the title means, for anyone who's already wondering, let's just say that it's going to have a similar importance that "the Goblet of Fire" or "the Deathly Hallows" did—in other words, wait and find out.

Of course, spoilers of the eighth book and maybe some things from the original seven are a given throughout this fanfiction, although, if you've read this far, I can only assume that you've either already read the book, or you haven't and just don't care to. Either-or is fine.

Ratings-wise, I have decided to give is a T, although, as for all my stories, I can promise that there will be smut in the future, so be warned ahead of time that some chapters may definitely be M. For those, I will post additional warnings at the beginning the chapters.

All characters, locations, etc. are the rightful property of J.K. Rowling, and what you are about to read is just a non-profit story using these.

Please enjoy, and comments/critiques, follows, or even favourites, are appreciated.

* * *

 **1 - The Younger Two**

Rose Granger-Weasley paced—or rather, _strutted_ —down the hallway outside the individual compartments on the Hogwarts Express, ensuring that everyone was settled inside before the train took off. She was a tall, well-figured, redheaded girl in her fifth year, with her prefect sash tied on properly and a gleam in her eye as she watched out for anyone who might be causing trouble—particularly the first years, like her younger brother, Hugo, who didn't know the rules yet.

Not that she had ever doubted for a moment that Headmistress Minerva McGonagall would assign _her_ the task of being the female prefect for Gryffindor, but, now that she had begun, she was taking her responsibilities far too seriously.

 _"Just like your mother,"_ her father, Ronald Weasley, had joked only a few minutes ago as they said goodbye on Platform 9 3/4.

Yes, Rose knew that she was overly-serious and obsessively organized in everything that she did, but it was the only way for her to be at peace with her strong and competitive personality. Unlike her father, her mother, Hermione Granger, the Minister for Magic, did not question it, perhaps seeing much of herself in her eldest daughter.

 _"You'll do great,"_ she had encouraged the previous night, being too caught up in her duties to see her children off in person. To Rose, this hadn't made much of a difference, but to Hugo, who was nervous of going to Hogwarts for the first time, it felt utterly unfair.

 _"She was there for Rose's first year, so why not for mine?"_ he whined to Ron.

Rose rolled her eyes at remembering for how many days her little brother had been complaining over and over and _over_ again at how unfairly he was being treated. Ever since they were both younger, before Rose had gone to Hogwarts, Hugo's impressions had always been the same: that Rose was the favourite one, that their mother only loved Rose, that Rose was always just _better_ and that he could never match up to her no matter how hard he tried.

 _Ridiculous...except for that last one_ , Rose had thought, unable to contain herself. Because, while it was true that she felt herself superior both in skill and intellect to her brother, it was completely untrue that Hermione loved her more or that she was the favourite one—if that was so, then how come she always made more of a fuss when Hugo got himself hurt, whereas her only comments to Rose on similar scrapes would be to "try and take care of it herself using her wand". Maybe it _was_ because more was expected of her with regards to magic, but that was no excuse for cooing over Hugo like he was a baby and giving Rose extra homework to do over the summer. Now _that_ was unfair!

 _It doesn't matter anyway,_ Rose reflected as she paced further down the hallway, now reaching the compartments at the back, where the first years were more likely to be. _Now I'm back at Hogwarts, in my most important year yet, and I can't let the problems from home affect me. No doubt Mum will...write letters to Hugo probably more than to me, but it's just because he's a first year. Get a grip on yourself, Rose! And, speaking of which..._

"What are you doing? All students must be in their compartments once the train leaves!" she exclaimed, coming across a group of second years, it looked like, who seemed content to take up the entire width of the corridor, barring anyone from passing and engaging in unimportant conversation.

"Oh yeah? Says who?" a girl with crooked teeth and a high forehead sniffed.

Rose glanced down at the students' uniforms. Slytherins—she might have guessed.

"It states it in the official rules of Hogwarts, chapter one, subsection five, paragraph—"

"Look Carrottop, we're not interested in the the _rules_ say," another girl, taller and with black hair, sneered. "We're asking who _you_ are to tell us to do anything, especially when _you_ aren't even in a position to—"

Rose knew where this was going and she intended to put a stop to it, _fast_. Whatever the girl was suggesting, it was already headed in that familiar direction of the Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalry that had been going on for years, and she wasn't about to get caught up in it.

"Rules are rules," she cut in, "and it doesn't matter which house I'm in. As a prefect, I have the right to give all of you a detention as I see fit, or, once we get to Hogwarts, deduct points from your house."

"The year hasn't even started yet and you're _already_ issuing orders? That's rough—take a break, would you, Rose?"

Turning, Rose encountered the familiar person who had addressed her—Albus Severus Potter, her cousin—standing with another less-familiar person whom she only recently had begun talking to—Scorpius Malfoy. Looking down, she noticed that apparently Scorpius had also been appointed a prefect in his house, which would've made him perfect for resolving the situation that she had been put in, but Rose refused to ask him for help.

"The rules of Hogwarts extend to and include the Hogwarts Express. If the year starts off this way and acts of disobedience are tolerated, then who's to say how the rest of the year will go?" she challenged, now shifting her focus from the group of Slytherins to Albus, albeit briefly.

Meanwhile, the Potter boy, who had shockingly been sorted into Slytherin instead of Gryffindor during his first year, and thus breaking up the once-close friendship that the two had shared, which both were working on repairing now, gave an indifferent shrug, looking for the life of him the exact same way that his father had looked when caught in the middle between Ron and Hermione—trying to make everyone happy, and yet himself detached from the issue at hand.

"I'm just saying that it's a bit early is all. Come on, Rose, the train hasn't even left yet!"

Suddenly, a whistle sounded, signaling that the train _was_ in fact, starting to move, which gave Rose the necessary satisfaction to smirk at her cousin before turning back to the girls.

"Now, for the last time, get into your compartments," she ordered, trying to remain calm.

The girl with the crooked teeth stepped up. "What if we don't want to? What'll you do then, Miss—"

"Rovella, you and your friends get back into your compartment," Scorpius cut in suddenly, stepping forward, but not daring to step in front of Rose.

Glancing down, Rovella relented as she noticed the Syltherin insignia on his robes, and began to lead her friends back into their assigned compartment. After checking to make sure that no one lingered outside their compartment further down the hall, Rose turned to address the other two boys her own age, mostly looking at Albus and avoiding eye contact with Scorpius out of habit.

"You didn't have to do that," she said, clearing addressing Scorpius first. "And as for you,"—to Albus—"you have no excuse for being out of your compartment either. I suggest you go back."

Albus neither surprised nor infuriated her by giving a cocky smirk, although Rose couldn't hold back the twitch of irritation that followed this action. "Or what? You'll 'give me a detention or take away my house points?' Rose, you should know as well as anyone that it won't affect me now—Scorpius and I served all of last year in detention, remember? And who said that we're particularly supportive of our house winning the House Cup every year, either?" For, as a fact that none of them could deny, Slytherin still persisted in taking the lead in the competition for the House Cup every year, which was in no small part due to their superior Quidditch team, something that irked Rose greatly. Of course, none of this had anything to do with Albus and Scorpius, who were still as recluse as ever, but Rose still didn't go easy in her treatment towards them, for the fact that they were Slytherins if for nothing else. For Albus, who was used to seeing her as being a bit calmer and, well, more like a girly teenager in the summertime when their families took vacations, the change that came over her at Hogwarts was unfortunate; but for Scorpius, who was used to seeing her only this way and who practically worshiped the ground she walked on, this was ordinary and he didn't pay it any mind.

Growing increasingly irritated with the presence of the two there, Rose folded her arms. "Go, both of you. Now."

"Come on, Albus. We'd better get back before someone thinks it's ok to start invading our space," Scorpius said, shooting Rose a quick glance. "We left our own compartment unguarded, so you never know." And her gave her a hopeful smile, which she ignored, and then grabbed hold of Albus's arm, seeing as his friend didn't seem like he was going to move yet.

"I only came down here to check on Lily—mind giving me a chance for that?" Albus asked, somewhat mockingly and somewhat truthfully. For, much as he was convinced that his younger sister would also be sorted into Gryffindor like their elder brother, James, he still wanted to make sure that she was alright.

This gave Rose, as she too was in a similar position. Only, unlike Lily, who might appreciate having her older siblings look in on her, Hugo probably wouldn't want to be around the "model sister who was supposed to show him how things were done". And having her be a prefect probably wouldn't help either, so Rose was still debating on whether or not to take off her sash when checking up on him. _Best to let him make new friends for now, and then check up on him once he's sorted into Gryffindor. Ok, done,_ she decided.

"You can have a few minutes, I suppose, but get back to your compartment after that," she said.

Albus gave her a grateful smile and then brushed past her, heading to the first year compartments.

"I'll wait for you here!" Scorpius called after him, after which he glanced down at Rose, once again looking at her in a way that...well, that made her understand why he had asked her out the previous year, as well as made her understand how she could ever come to feel pity for him, despite everything. "Um...hey," he murmured awkwardly.

"Hello," Rose replied dryly, wondering why she didn't leave earlier when she had the chance. If she knew it'd be like this, then she really would have. In fact, _usually_ she would have, and never given it a second thought; but, now that she was trying to rebuild her relationship with Albus after having torn it down for their first four years at Hogwarts, the last thing she needed was to upset his best friend. Even if that best friend _was_ Scorpius Malfoy...

"You...look beautiful, as always," Scorpius said shyly. "I like how the sash looks."

Rose sniffed. It wasn't that she didn't agree with his compliment or anything, but it was obvious that this newfound boldness of his to speak his mind, which he had acquired last year after, apparently, _saving the world_ , was going to his head—did he actually think that it would be enough to soften her up?

"I know. It's definitely an honor to be a prefect. Best for any of us not to mess it up." And he could interpret that how he liked.

Scorpius blinked twice. "No, of course not. I-it's a position of trust."

Rose nodded. If possible, she wasn't going to prolong the discussion. After all, now that her duties at the moment were done, she wanted to go back to her compartment to be with her friends and, if possible, to plan some things for Quidditch ahead of time. Because, after all, this would be James Potter's last year as Quidditch captain, and she planned on getting that position next year if she could help it. The first step of course would be to convince James to give her some training and then appoint her to it, but that was easier said than done...

Giving the pair some much needed relief from the tension that had development between them, Albus appeared the next moment, disrupting the silence.

"I just talked to Lily. She says that she "kind of wants to be 'different' and break tradition" like I did, and apparently the best way for her to do this is _not_ to be sorted into Gryffindor," he explained.

Rose stiffened. "What's wrong with Gryffindor?"

"Nothing, only she says that every single person in our family's been sorted into Gryffindor, and she's right. There's every single Weasley since ever, all the Potters, your mother, my grandmother, and, heck, even Sirius Black! And then, put you and James into the mix and everyone's a Gryffindor. Personally, I think she might just be having a personality crisis and doesn't want to get lost in the shuffle is all."

"I wasn't aware that there was a shuffle," Rose retorted.

Albus grinned. "Seems that there is. Makes me feel even better for avoiding it by being in Syltherin." He exchanged a satisfied look with Scorpius.

Rose shook her head. "Maybe I should talk to her."

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" a voice interrupted.

Albus and Scorpius both shivered, turning around to face someone who, since the past year, had become one of their nightmares: the Trolley Witch.

"Uh, no thanks. We've, uh, got to get back to our compartment," Albus said, quickly grabbing Scorpius's arm and pulling him out of there.

Rose blinked after them, confused. Since neither boy had _ever_ talked about their experience with the witch, either from embarrassment or just from disbelief, no one else really knew how frightening and how dangerous she could be.

"Something for you, dear?" the Trolley Witch asked. "Pumpkin pastries? Or a chocolate frog, perhaps?"

"No thank you," Rose replied. Then, turning, she sped away towards her own compartment, for the moment forgetting her earlier intention to speak to Lily Potter. Because, as it was, she had her own problems to attend to, and couldn't be bothered with seeing to the problems of her younger cousin. Sure, the younger two, Hugo and Lily, could definitely use some help getting adjusted to Hogwarts, but that could all come later.

 _Because, after all, they'll both be in Gryffindor_ , Rose assured herself, knowing that the odds were highly in that favour. Lily Potter's brief thought to be placed into another house was, by all accounts, foolish, and so Rose wasn't going to take it into anymore account than a passing fancy. And, once the two were in Gryffindor, there was all the time in the world to see to them and make sure that they were cared for. Reporting to both her parents and Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny was, after all, just another one of her many duties. James couldn't be trusted to give accurate accounts, and Albus was in another house altogether, detached from everything, so, naturally, she was the only one that they could depend up. Just like always.

* * *

 **\- End Note -**

I really hope that you liked this first chapter, and I really hope that I got the personalities of the characters right. I am by no means doing justice to J.K. Rowling's writing, I know, but I try to at least get some of the elements right, which I guess can be judged by the readers through reviews. Again, thank you for any of those, as they would be much appreciated and help the writing process along.

If anyone's wondering where any of our older characters like Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and others are, let's just say that we'll be focusing on the children more than the parents for a bit, although the parents will make up part of the story as well. Just as _Harry Potter and the Cursed Child_ tried to focus on the development of next generation in the Harry Potter universe, I'm trying to do the same. For anyone missing Harry Potter as a character, believe me, I understand, but at the same time I think that the charm of his children can make up for his absence.

And, if anyone's wondering on who the "main character" will be in this fanfiction, to be honest, I haven't intended there to be one. I mean, yes, the majority of this chapter was written from Rose's point of view, but by no means do I intend her to be the primary focus or anything. Nor will the primary focus be Albus or Scorpius or Hugo or even Lily. Instead, this story is going to be about all of them, to different extents, but with no one as the primary focus. That being said, I hope that you enjoy the story from all angles.

 _Extra Note :_ It has been pointed out to me that Lily Luna Potter is actually already in Gryffindor during the original _Harry Potter and the Cursed Child_ , and yes, I am aware of this fact, but have decided to alter it to suit my purposes. For that matter, I hope that these alterations will be for the good of the story rather as a hindrance to it, so while some things may seem questionable, please know that most, if not all of them, are intentional. Thank you very much for your understanding.

Please comment, follow, or favourite to show your support, and I look forward to writing on in the next chapter. Cheers!


	2. 2 - The Sorting Ceremony (yet again)

**\- A/N -**

Until now, this has been the fastest response that I have ever gotten to a fanfiction—two reviews and one follower within the span of twelve hours? That, to me, is amazing, even if to more popular writers it seems like nothing. If and when I am up there one day as well though, maybe I'll feel the same? Still, I think it helps to appreciate every little thing, so thank you truly to everyone who's commented, followed, or even just read this fanfiction, as it _does_ help it to move forward.

The truth behind the release of this chapter so early is because, honestly, I was just feeling so enthusiastic about where this story was going that I had to continue. As of yet, I have not posted an official update date for it on my profile, but, after this chapter, decided to post a chapter every Friday, so as to give everyone something to look forward to at the end of the week—besides the weekend, of course.

In response to _ThatPotterGirl1997_ 's inquiry about whether more of the Weasley clan will make an appearance in this fanfiction, I can safely assure everyone that, _yes_ , I definitely see them showing up as occasional characters, especially in their interactions with Rose and Hugo. Aside from the Weasley clan, also know that I'm not cutting Teddy Lupin out of the picture either—he's a good a character as any to include in the story.

Other than that, which I think clears things up, here we go with the second chapter!

* * *

 **2 - The Sorting Ceremony (yet again)**

When Scorpius and Albus both climbed out of the train and approached the carriages that would take them to the castle, they saw what they had expected, and yet for the life of them couldn't describe: thestrals. It was their first time seeing the dark, winged creatures, and while they knew that they would do the students no harm, both felt a little apprehensive.

"By Dumbledore, why now?" Albus shivered, a bit frightened despite himself. Because, who _wouldn't_ be? Those things not only looked like they could kill a wizard with one strike, but also like they belonged at the gates of hell or something. And seeing them for the first time, despite knowing that they had always been there, was no comfortable experience.

"B-because we've seen death," Scorpius answered mechanically, although neither boy mentioned on how they had witnessed Craig Bowker Jr.'s death the previous year; they still had nightmares about it, and that was enough.

"Dad said they don't harm anyone, though," Albus pointed out. "Actually, they're pretty convenient to ride."

"Best not to try it if you can't see them, eh?" Scorpius added with a forced laugh.

The boys exchanged a look and then got into the carriage, one that they would be sharing alone, as usual—no one _ever_ sat with the "Slytherin Squib" and "Voldemort's Son". Apparently, despite everything they'd done to save the world, the rumors about them at Hogwarts had a hard time going away; still though, as both boys liked their privacy, this didn't bother them as much as it used to.

"You know, Rose is getting more gorgeous every time I see her," Scorpius commented casually as the carriage made its way up the road to the castle.

Albus snorted. "And more arrogant, by the looks of it. Now that she's a prefect, there's no telling what she _won't_ do so as to enforce order."

Scorpius smiled. "Yeah, I know, but at least now I'll have more of an excuse to spend time with you—you know, seeing as we're both prefects and all."

Sighing, Albus leaned back in his seat. "Scorpius, you're my best friend, and you know I'm not saying this to hurt you, but mate, she's not only way out of your league—she's out of _everyone's_ league. The thing is, that's all she's ever wanted to be, better than the rest, and so there's no point in trying to compete with that. She's already shot you down once, and I figured that after that you'd give up, but you—"

"I'm not saying that anything's going to happen, but I _do_ want to spend more time with her. I know she doesn't particularly like me now, nor has she ever, but...she doesn't even _know_ me, Albus, and that's got to change!"

"So that you can continue 'planting the acorn that will result in your eventual marraige'?" Albus clarified.

Scorpius beamed. "Exactly!"

Rolling his eyes, Albus looked away. There was just no discouraging his best friend, who was obviously smitten with a girl that neither he, nor seemingly anyone else could have. Albus himself had never seen the attraction to Rose as a person, because she was just too bossy, too competitive, and too cocky for her own good, but Scorpius had always been able to see past that. Though he never said so, Albus always suspected that his judged on appearances from the surface rather than from within, which would eventually lead to his getting hurt. Still, if there was no discouraging Scorpius now, after he'd already been rejected once, then the only thing to do was wait and see where things would go from there.

The topic exhausted, once they reached the castle, both boys hastily made their way to the grand hall, taking their seats long before the first years came in, and then applauding like everyone else once they did.

"It's your sister's turn this year, right?" Scorpius whispered.

Albus nodded, keeping his attention at the front. Not that he had any hopes that Lily would end up in a house other than Gryffindor, but still, even hearing her express that she wished for something different made him feel a whole lot better about himself. It made it seem as though...it wasn't necessary to carry on their family legacy about always being in Gryffindor—as he had already proven, it didn't matter which house a student was sorted into, so long as they did their best in becoming successful wizards.

After the usual chant of the Sorting Hat, it began calling up names, sorting each student into their appropriate house of either Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin. The first few students went mostly to Hufflepuff and to Gryffindor, with fewer to Slytherin and even fewer to Ravenclaw, after which came the turn of Hugo Granger-Weasley. Glancing across the hall, Albus noticed Rose leaned forward in her seat, no doubt waiting for the moment when she could embrace her brother and welcome him to the table.

As the Sorting Hat was placed on his head, its comments could be heard loud and clear throughout the great hall.

"Ha, yet _another_ Weasley? How many of you are there? Well, this is an obvious choice... _Gryffindor_!"

A cheer sounded from the house table, after which Rose jumped up and led her brother to his seat at the earliest possible opportunity. Hugo managed to look both embarrassed and yet pleased at the same time, taking his seat and ducking his head before his sister could coo over him too much.

A few more students followed, after which came the moment that Albus had so desperately waited for: the sorting of his own sister. From across the hall, he noticed James stop in his conversation with his own friends, also leaning forward in interest. The two brothers made eye contact, after which James gave a confident wink. It was likely, in both their eyes, that Lily would end up in Gryffindor.

But then, Albus remembered the last thing he had said to her before leaving her compartment, wondering if she was going to take it into account.

 _"You know, you don't really need to be all that worried about which house you'll get sorted into. Look at me: I was put in Slytherin, the one house that dad probably didn't want me to be in, and I got on alright."_

 _"But you're_ you _," Lily had insisted, casting her eyes downward. "You've saved the world once already_ — _you're exactly like dad."_

 _Albus gave a wistful smile, leaning down until he was almost at eye level with her. All of the other first years in the compartment pretended not to notice this, although some of them desperately wished that they had an older sibling to explain things to them._

 _"You want to know something?" Albus asked, causing Lily to glance up hopefully. "The Sorting Hat takes your decision into account."_

 _Lily blinked in surprise. "Really?" she whispered excitedly._

 _Albus nodded. "Really. Dad told me so himself_ — _it took his opinion into account when sorting him, which apparently was no easy task, so why shouldn't it take your opinion into account?"_

Of course, looking back, Albus had no idea how much of that he really believed himself, especially seeing as the Sorting Hat _didn't_ actually take him opinion into account. At first, he had desperately hoped that he wouldn't be in Slytherin, wouldn't be a disappointment or anything, and yet had gotten sorted there regardless. In a way, the hat had talked him into it, insisting that Slytherin was his rightful house to be in, and that it knew what it was doing. At first, Albus had questioned this, until developing a close bond with Scorpius and realizing that, yes, Slytherin _was_ where he rightfully belonged. Even for that brief period of time in which his father had tried to get him appointed to Gryffindor instead, it had all felt wrong. And now, Albus wouldn't have chosen his life at Hogwarts to be any other way, despite the few bumps in the road during his first four years. Whatever Lily chose, despite not being sure to what extent the Sorting Hat would consider it, Albus knew that she would be in her rightful place, if nothing else.

"Let's see now," the Sorting Hat murmured, once placed on the young girl's head. "Another Potter, eh? Oh, what's this? 'Not Gryffindor', you say? Whyever not? You have a good family history in Gryffindor, there's always stock put in that...What? You're sure? Very well then. Better be... _Ravenclaw_!"

A loud yet polite applause went up from the Ravenclaw table as well as from Albus, who, while surprised, didn't mind at all that Lily had gotten her wish. The same could not be said for Rose or for James though, both of whom looked rather deflated at the news, though James was quick to recover once pulled back into conversation again.

"Well...that was unexpected," Scorpius mentioned, clapping alongside his friend.

Albus nodded. "I know, but isn't it great? She told me that she didn't want to be in Gryffindor anyway and...maybe this going against family tradition is a good think, you know?"

Scorpius sighed. "Wish I could say the same, but every single person in my family's only ever been in Slytherin, so I'm going along with tradition as well as anyone. It's good to see that you and your sister are breaking it though."

Albus grinned. "Yeah, but why Ravenclaw, I wonder? The only person we've ever known whose in Ravenclaw is..."

* * *

If Rose and James didn't take well to the outcome, then Harry and Ginny Potter were equally as surprised when they received the news in Rose's letter. James, who hadn't written much since after his second year at Hogwarts, couldn't be relied upon to give them news promptly, so both Potters appreciated their niece's consideration for doing so.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that Hugo made it into Gryffindor—no doubt Ron and Hermione are pleased. But...Lily into Ravenclaw?" Ginny lifted a curious eyebrow. "That's a little strange."

Harry shrugged, adjusting his glasses. "I suppose it is, considering that no one in either of our families has been sorted there, but not unheard of. I always thought that Lily had the right personality to go into Gryffindor as well, but the Sorting Hat's never wrong."

Ginny nodded. "Much as that is true, I had hoped that Rose would be able to guide her through her first year at Hogwarts; James, I was confident, would have no trouble, and Albus has done alright as well, but Lily...she's the baby of the family, and has always been the one to receive the most help."

"That's the way it is in every family," Harry replied with a smile. "But that doesn't mean that she's always _needed_ the most help. Maybe her being sorted into Ravenclaw is a good thing, as it'll finally encourage her to stand on her own two feet. She's a capable witch, Gin."

Laughing, Ginny took a seat next to her husband at the kitchen table. "I know, Harry, but can you blame me for being worried? She's my special little girl, our only daughter, and it's always been different with her. She took the longest in learning how to ride a broom, was always the most unsure about what to do with her life, and...well, I'm just not as confident in leaving her alone as I was James and Albus."

"Gin, we have to leave all our children alone at some point, so why not now? There's no better place than Hogwarts to teach her what it is to be an independent witch, and...it's not like Rose, James, and Albus aren't there for her at all—they still are, but in a more minor capacity. I really think that this is what she needs," Harry assured her.

Ginny returned his smile. "You're right. But I'll still encourage her to write often. I want to make sure that she's ok."

"Of course she is. She _will_ be, Gin, you'll see."

* * *

 **\- End Note -**

Done and done! That being said, I feel like there are a few things that I should address in this chapter, just in case anyone feels the need to comment/object to anything later on.

Firstly, there's my decision of putting Lily Potter in Ravenclaw instead of Gryffindor. I know, I know, in the original eighth book, she was very clearly put in Gryffindor, as well as being a year older, but, again, I will be shifting a few things in this story to match my purpose. Because, the truth of the matter is, I don't think that Lily herself would get much of an individual character if she's just another Weasley-Potter who's put in Gryffindor. That's just following what's expected of her, and would group her with many other characters that we've already seen developed. With Albus breaking off from the chain, I saw it as an opportunity to develop his character in excellent ways, which the book did, and decided to do the same thing with Lily as well, especially given what I have in store for her later on. I understand how many people may really object to this stark change, but I urge you to please give it a chance and not to shut it down right away.

Secondly, I'd like to address the way in which I presented Ginny and Harry Potter in this chapter. I apologize for the somewhat cliché parental discussion between them; however, at this point in the story, where my main focus will be on the new generation of characters that are attending Hogwarts, that's all they need to be for now. Make no mistake, later on I will be giving them more concrete roles in the story, but, for now, I hope that readers can content themselves with knowing that they are there, just not in the spotlight.

And lastly, I would like to address the way in which I presented the Sorting Hat—namely, why it should take _some_ opinions into account and yet not others. For, as we've seen, it did take Harry Potter's opinion into account, but, as I assume that Albus would've wanted to be in Gryffindor, it would have ignored his request entirely when sorting him into Slytherin. The reason that I provided in the chapter is exactly my reason behind grouping Lily into Ravenclaw: the Sorting Hat knows what's best and it is never wrong. The Sorting Hat in itself was hard to understand even in the original series, where its reasoning was never fully explained (aside from classifying witches and wizards based on their personalities and family lineages, perhaps taking the latter into more consideration than the former, seeing as it put a timid Scorpius Malfoy into Slytherin rather than another house more fitting to his personality), and so I took it upon myself to fill in some of th blanks, which I will continue to do later on. Again, for anyone objecting to my decision, please take it for what it is and, if you're still interested, wait to see what I have planned.

Other than that, I encourage readers to post more reviews, to follow, or even to favourite the story. All of that is much appreciated. See you in the next chapter!


	3. 3 - Just A Meeting

**\- A/N -**

I can't tell you how thrilled I am with the results that this fanfiction is getting. Out of everything I've published so far, it is the most popular, based on favourites and followers, and also encourages me in that it was the right thing to do, deciding to publish it. At first, I considered that it might either be too early or too presumptuous to start writing a _Harry Potter and the Cursed Child_ fanfiction, especially seeing as not everyone would've had a chance to read the original work, but I'm definitely glad that I did. The responses to the first two chapters were excellent, and I can only hope that the third chapter is up to par with expectations as well. (And for those of you who actually _support_ Lily being sorted into Ravenclaw, I must say that I'm pleasantly surprised, and happy that you approve.)

For anyone who's reading my other weekly-updated fanfiction, _The Secret Heart_ , then you already know this, but for those who don't, this is going to be a tough month for updates. Recently, seeing as I've just been on vacation, there were a lot of things waiting for me to do once I got back, and now, I'm in the process of sorting everything out. As a result, fanfiction-wise I will be late in posting, for the most part, and may even be posting chapters that are shorter than usual. I ask your understanding in this, as it shouldn't last for a long time, and I am going to try my best to get material out there to you.

Other than that, all I can say is thank you to everyone who continues to support this fanfiction, and I hope you will continue to do so in the future. As always, reviews, follows, and favourites are all appreciated.

* * *

 **3 - Just A Meeting**

Rose paced up and down the halls during her first night of patrolling, inwardly fuming, and yet at the same time keeping a calm exterior. How Lily Potter had ended up in Ravenclaw of all places was beyond her, and while it made her feel awkward and bitterly disappointed in the younger girl, she knew that Lily herself wasn't to blame—or so it seemed. The Sorting Hat, she knew, could be a bit eccentric in its decisions at times, with Albus being the first prime example that she had witnessed; and yet, at the same time, she couldn't find anything to back up its decision this time. Honestly, what qualities did Lily Luna Potter possess that made her compatible with the house she had been sorted in?!

 _Well, if it's only a question of intellect, then there's no reason why Ravenclaw wouldn't have been a fine choice, but then I would have been put there too! No, it must be something that she's missing that would otherwise qualify her for Gryffindor, not vice-versa. But what?_

Admittedly, these thoughts and contemplations regarding her youngest cousin were more than a little distracting, almost to the point that Rose passed by James Potter in the hallways without noticing him. _Almost_. Stopping in her tracks, she turned around, shooting him a glare as she caught sight of him, with a candy apple in his mouth and a few suspicious-looking firecrackers in his left hand and pocket. James, while being extremely intelligent, the best in his class, and the Gryffindor Quidditch captain, somehow or other hadn't been made a prefect himself. Rose suspected that this was because he was an incurable troublemaker, and thus Headmistress McGonagall and Professor Longbottom, head of Gryffindor House, couldn't trust him with such authority, but that didn't stop him from acting as though he had the same rights regardless.

 _Honestly, wandering through the hallways past curfew,_ Rose thought. Not that she was surprised or anything, but she didn't want to be the one to get him in trouble. If not for his intellect, his popularity, and the fact that he was Harry Potter's son (or so Rose suspected), he might've been expelled long ago. Given that he was in his seventh year now, Rose especially didn't want to mess things up for him and get a headache from her family because of it, but at the same time, the duties of her new position also mattered, so...

"Isn't it a bit early in the year to start this—shouldn't you be on probation or something?" she asked, eyeing the firecrackers in his hand. Well, might as well figure out what he was up to before she decided on whether she was going to report it or not.

James gave a shrug and then took the candy apple out of his mouth with his free hand. "Beats me. I would've finished up earlier, except that it took forever to convince Peeves to team up with me. Do you know that he's gotten himself a girlfriend over the summer? Apparently, once a poltergeist has a love life, the old chums from before just don't matter." He sniffed. "It's insulting, actually."

Rose barely suppressed an eye roll. She wasn't at all interested in hearing about the love life of Hogwarts' famous poltergeist—although, how a poltergeist went about committing to a relationship was beyond her, in any case—or about how James would've been finished by now either. Currently, her main concern was to finish dealing with him as soon as possible and have him back in the Gryffindor common room while she finished her rounds. At midnight, after a teacher came to take over the patrol, she planned on going back herself and, if James was still up, talk to him about the sorting results for Lily that day. No doubt he was just as disappointed as she was, although she hadn't really taken note of his reaction in the great hall, too caught up herself in what had happened.

"Well, regardless of what you have planned, you'll have to cancel, and—"

Suddenly, Rose stopped as she noticed James, with quicker reflexes and accuracy than she thought him capable of, take out his wand and point it directly between her eyes. Narrowing them, she continued to glare at him, but made no move to reach for her own wand. Obviously, she was at a disadvantage, but refused to back down regardless. She already knew that she didn't intimidate James in the least, but this...this was way out of line, and he was crazy if he thought she'd let it go!

"I don't like to mess up a pretty face like yours, but if you stand in my way, I'll have no choice," James threatened, although from Rose's standpoint, he was really only making things worse for himself. "This is my last year, and I've got to make an impact. Not only is it expected of me, but I plan to leave behind a legacy at Hogwarts. And I won't have that stopped by anyone, not even _you_."

It was hard to tell whether he was being serious or not, but Rose took it to be the latter and said, through gritted teeth, "Put. It. Down."

To her slight surprise, James conceded and did what she said, but not without giving her a cocky smirk first. "Bet you didn't expect that, did you?" he asked, chuckling.

"Even as a joke, it wasn't funny."

James shrugged. "Fine then, don't take it that way. But I was serious in part of what I said, Rose—I do plan to leave behind a legacy, and I'm not letting anyone get in my way."

Rose crossed her arms, standing her ground, though inwardly wondering why she had bothered to address James for such a long time anyway, and hadn't just called for help or something. After all, her partner, Lenny Brackwort, surely would have heard her, being only one hallway away. Was it because she was used to always handling things herself and wanted to be taken seriously in her new position as a prefect, or was it because she knew that no one in the school, particularly not a fifth year, could stand up against James and have a hope of winning? Sometimes, she liked to think that she was close to his level, but every time he did something unexpected, like perform an advanced spell, do a dangerous Quidditch stunt, or even get away with one of his crazy pranks, she realized how far below him she really was. But, of course, that didn't stop her from trying at every opportunity to prove just how good she was as well; her competitive nature wouldn't have it any other way. That being said, it was perhaps the biggest reason why she didn't try to involve others in her face-offs with James: it was a challenge, and she couldn't help but gravitate towards it.

"Your legacy will have to wait. Now, unless you really want me to report you, get back to the common room and wait for me there."

James stiffened. "And if I refuse?"

Rose shrugged. "I'll call McGonagall. Or I can have another prefect do it. Nothing's stopping me." True, she was really pushing him right now, but, if her wager was right, James wouldn't want the Headmistress involved this early in the year—it might _really_ put him on probation, and he couldn't stand to have anyone watching him at every turn.

Tucking his wand away, he took another bite of his candy apple, chewing thoughtfully before saying, "Something tells me you want to talk to me. Why bother to have me wait and not just send me to bed like a good little boy?"

Nodding, Rose averted eye contact, feeling embarrassed, as always, when he used _that_ tone of voice with her—the tone of voice that reminded her that _she_ was the one who was younger, _she_ was the one who was under his authority (particularly in Quidditch), and that _she_ was the one that he could toy with, sometimes without her ever realizing it. It was irritating, to say the least, but most of all, it was embarrassing, and always caused a rather childish reaction out of the otherwise hard-as-steel, stone-faced, ambitious and competitive Gryffindor.

James grinned, clearly pleased at her reaction. "Alright. I'll see you there." As he turned to leave though, Rose reached out and pulled him back by his arm.

"The firecrackers," she said, holding out her hand.

James shrugged out of her grip. "Not a chance," he said, not teasing this time. "I promise I won't use them tonight, but I make no guarantees for the future—these were expensive, you know!" And then, without another word or retaliation from Rose, he headed back to the common room, leaving his younger cousin feeling both foolish and uncomfortable.

* * *

 **\- End Note -**

Just in case this might come up (although I'm not sure if it will), I'd like to address right now what some people may consider a shift in Rose's personality. I'd like to point out right now that I'm still keeping her in character, in a way, except that I don't think that she'd be completely as perfect as _Harry Potter and the Cursed Child_ presented her to be. Yes, in many ways she's just like Hermione and, on the outside, would seem like the perfect Gryffindor lioness, but then, in some interactions, I think it's only fair to give her a disadvantage. I chose James to be superior to her in a sense because of several reasons:

1) Because he's older, and, especially as her older cousin, it's natural that she feel inferior to him, having grown up always two years behind him in experience.

2) Because, as it stated in the book, everything "just came so easily" to him, by which I'm assuming that he'd also be intelligent as well as popular. As for making him Quidditch captain, it's because, in Gryffindor in particular, popularity often comes with Quidditch involvement, and I see him as being a strong captain. Only, unlike Harry Potter, don't worry, I'm not making him the Seeker. Any guesses for what his Quidditch position actually is? (You can include this in a review, if you'd like.)

3) Because, seeing as he's a jokester, Rose wouldn't know how to deal with him. Ordinarily, I'd see her as having no tolerance for troublemakers at all, and while this holds true, she wouldn't be able to treat James like just anyone, and this would put her in the awkward position of having to come up with new ways in which to confront him.

All of these things, I think, make for a more interesting story and parallel between characters, so even if some readers may find moments like this awkward to Rose's personality, I'm stating right now that I won't change it. On the other hand though, this won't affect her interactions with characters like Albus or Scorpius any differently, so it's not anything to worry about.

Regarding the length of this chapter, I've already apologized and explained that chapters will be shorter, so I hope that no one's too put off by it. The next chapter will delve deeper into the conversation that Rose and James should have, as well as get us better acquainted with Lily's circumstances in Ravenclaw. I hope that's enough to look forward to.

In the meantime, reviews, follows, and favourite are all appreciated, so thank you to those who show their support! Until the next chapter, then!


	4. 4 - Three Potters, Three Houses

**\- A/N -**

I'll spare everyone the detailed explanations as to why this update is so late and just sum it up as a combination of back-to-school prep, the necessity of having to buy a new laptop, and the general stress of job-hunting. I hope that it counts as enough of a reason for why this update is over two weeks late. Regarding updates actually, I have an announcement to make:

 _Update: From now on, all updates have been changed from every Friday to every other Friday_ _._

Please note that this will only be a temporary change until things calm down a bit, but hopefully it's enough to be confident that updates _are_ still coming, regardless of what time.

With all that out of the way, moving on to the details of this chapter. As promised, this will focus on even further interactions between Rose and James, a bit more detailed than in the previous chapter, and definitely to give readers more of a sense of their dynamic. As of yet, no one has made any comments on that yet, so I'll assume that there aren't any problems with it. To be honest, I'm really interested in making James more of a major character in this story, because he hasn't really had a share in the spotlight of the _Harry Potter_ books, and so he should at least shine in fanfictions, right?

With that on mind, onward ho!

* * *

 **4** — **Three Potters, Three Houses**

It wasn't a moment too soon that Madame Hooch finally came to take over patrol duties, though not without exchanging a word or two with Rose about the upcoming tryouts for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Indeed, with the position of two chasers, a beater, and the keeper open this year, there were quite a few players that were needed to uphold the team. Also, because the position of Quidditch captain would be open once James graduated as well, Rose knew that she'd have to be on her toes if she wanted any chance of making it herself. After all, her goal was and had always been to be both Quidditch captain and Head Girl by the end of her time at Hogwarts, someone that both of her parents could be proud of.

For James though, since being Head Boy was out of reach anyway, he was content to just be Quidditch captain, though acted every bit as cocky as if he owned half the school. Indeed, even as Rose entered through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room, she could see him lounging about, taking up the entire couch, and levitating his apple core over the fire. Hearing her come in, he stopped, letting it drop into the flames, and gave her his usual half-smile half-smirk that both irritated and endeared her to him at the same time.

"Well, well, back already?" he asked.

Rose shoved him aside, taking a seat on the couch as well, unsure exactly how to get at the heart of what she wanted to talk to him about. With Albus, it was slightly easier getting him to be serious and focus, but with James, who was always unpredictable, it was near impossible. So, instead of bringing up Lily directly, she decided to address something easier to discuss.

"Have you seen Hugo at all today?" she asked.

James shrugged, leaning back on the couch, not at all affected by the discussion, despite having a slight suspicion of where it was going. "Yeah. Kid's all tuckered out by now, but he'll be alright for classes tomorrow. Didn't you already check on him?"

Rose shook her head.

"Oh, right. Prefect duties."

Giving a hefty sigh that let out all of her negative thoughts for the day, the bold brunette finally decided to address the matter at hand, seeing as James obviously wasn't going to take a hint and bring it up. Sometimes, when he was like this, so indifferent, she wondered if maybe both he and Albus really even cared for their siblings at all. Not that everyone had to get as involved in their siblings' lives like she did with Hugo, but it would've been nice for them to share _some_ interest.

 _Boys,_ Rose thought, suppressing an eye roll.

"What about you with Lily?"

"Hmm, now that would be a problem, wouldn't it? Cause, technically, anyone can get into the Ravenclaw common room if they can answer the riddle—or, in my case, if they happen to know their way around really well—but first my cute little sister's got to get in before I can go and check up on her.

Rose blinked. "What do you mean?"

Snorting, James leaned forward with interest. "The first time, the prefect for Ravenclaw got her and the other first years in with no problems, but after she snuck out for an extra snack a while ago, she couldn't figure out how to answer a different riddle. I reckon that she's outside the common room in the hallway, probably waiting for someone else to come along and open it up for her."

 _"What?!"_

Holding up his hands defensively, James kept up his smirk. "Hey, no worries—seeing as you're back, the Ravenclaw prefects probably are too and so she'll be in there safe and sound by now."

Giving a groan of frustration, Rose covered her face with her hands. Stupid, shouldn't _she_ have gone personally to the Ravenclaw common room by now to check on Lily, especially seeing as she'd rightfully predicted that neither of her siblings would? If she had been around, she could have easily helped her younger cousin get into the common room by answering a simple riddle. She really _should_ have done this, especially seeing as she was specifically asked to do so by Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry, and everyone knew that Hogwarts was not necessarily a safe place at night. If worst came to worst, what could have happened?

"Don't blame yourself, although you probably will anyway," James encouraged. "You were busy, so you wouldn't have had time to."

Was that really true, or was it just an excuse that she wanted to believe? True, Rose was constantly busy, sometimes taking on more than any other person could've handled, but that didn't meant that she couldn't ask for a fifteen minute break or something if she needed it. And that was all it would've taken to go to the Ravenclaw common room and check on Lily, make sure she was alright. So then...why hadn't she? Because she was disappointed in Lily for not making it into Gryffindor and that, even if it wasn't the girl's fault specifically, Rose still somewhat considered that it was?

In any case, she wasn't in the mood to sort through it tonight. The day had been full of enough frustrations and surprises, and seeing as James wasn't helping, as usual, there was no point in staying up and talking to him anymore. Standing up, Rose prepared to leave.

"We should both go to bed—and I mean it. Tomorrow classes start for us too."

"Yeah, whatever you say." James stood up as well. "Don't forget though—Quidditch tryouts start this weekend, and I'll need an organized assistant to keep score for me. Know anyone who's qualified?"

Rose turned around, and was met with her cousin's expectant stare. Geez, if he needed help, why didn't he just ask for it?

"Well, that depends," she said, putting a hand on her hip. "What qualifications would they need to have?" She didn't mean to be playful, or at least not that late at night, but as soon as the smirk returned to James's face, she knew he was hooked.

"For one thing, they'd have to know the rules of Quidditch. If they have them memorized word for word from the rule-book, it'd be helpful," he replied.

"Uh-huh. What else?"

"Hmm...it'd be good to get a girl. Y'know, it's mostly boys who try out for Quidditch, but we need witches as well as wizards who can play."

"Check. And...?"

Then, it surprised her when James slunk closer, tucking a finger under his chin just like he had done since they were children, and tilting her head up so that she could look at him more clearly. Their close proximity and James's disregard for personal space had never bothered Rose before, and yet, as she stared up at him now, alone in the middle of the night in the common room, she couldn't help but feel a bit uncomfortable, just like before in the hallway. Was it because they had finally spent a summer apart because James had traveled to Romania to study dragons while Rose mentored at the Ministry of Magic with her mother, and thus they lacked interaction for a while? Or was it...something else?

"And the best case scenario would be if they were organized, smart, dedicated, on the Quidditch team, and had it in with the teachers as well." Rose hitched a breath. "I don't know about you, but I can only think of one person who fits the bill for that."

Surprised that she had to try and keep her voice steady, Rose replied, "And if...that person agrees to help out, what would her reward be?"

Smirking, James stepped back, leaving Rose feeling much more comfortable, yet also strangely empty at their sudden distance.

"I'll decide that later. Maybe a chocolate frog," he said.

And then, too hastily for Rose to say anything else, he ducked out of the common room and up the stairs, leaving the Gryffindor prefect alone, out of breath, and, as usual, feeling foolish and hating every second of it. Sometimes, in moments like these, Rose remembered just why Albus was easier to deal with than his brother, despite being a Slytherin and all.

* * *

Meanwhile, speaking of Slytherins, both Ablus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy were still awake in their own rooms, discussing the events of their summers. For, close friends though they were, their fathers still weren't on close enough terms to plan their summer vacations together, so the boys had spent some time apart—Scorpius stuck at Malfoy Manor and Albus staying over at Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur's house with Lily, and catching up on news with Teddy Rupin and Victoire. Speaking of the two, they had finally decided to get married, although the date wasn't set just yet. In any case, after coming back from Shell Cottage and reuniting with their eldest sibling, James had expressed regrets at not being there to tease the daylights out of their soon-to-be cousin himself.

"Sounds like you had it good," Scorpius commented, not having had as much to reveal about his own vacation. As usual, it was just him and his father, alone and cut off from the world. In some ways, it wasn't all that bad, especially since rumors of Scorpius being "Voldemort's spawn" had finally died down now that people knew the truth, but it was still pretty lonely, all in all. In any case, it was a relief that Albus was as happy to see him as he had been.

Shrugging, Albus turned on his side to face Scorpius, whose bed was right next to his, separated only by their nightstands and a window. "It was ok, but _nothing_ compares to the trial."

Scorpius nodded as he remembered it as well. Earlier that year, just after they had finished their fourth year at Hogwarts, each boy had been called to the Ministry of Magic to testify against Delphini "Delphi" Diggory. The trial, Scorpius suspected, was more for show than anything else, seeing as anyone who so much as uttered Voldemort's name—for example, his grandfather, Lucius—was sent to Azkaban without question. Of course, Delphi, being Voldemort's daughter, was immediately given a life sentence without question, Harry Potter himself being one of the aurors who escorted her to her prison cell.

"Yeah, that was something, seeing her again," Scorpius replied at last, for once not bothering to make a joke about how Albus had a crush on her earlier on before they discovered how evil she was. Their experiences with the deranged witch, while brief, hadn't exactly left either of them with "proud battle scars". They had been duped, Albus more than anyone, and now all they wanted to do was forget that they had encountered her at all. Sure, they had saved the world and whatnot, but they were still outcasts, and maybe were best suited as such. As for Delphi, she was a maniac, pure evil, belonged in Azkaban, and that was the end of it.

"Did you see the way she looked at me?" Albus shivered. "If looks could kill."

"You'll never get to sleep if you keep thinking about it. Besides, everyone knows that it's impossible to break out of Azkaban, so why worry?" Scorpius sighed, trying to change the subject, albeit only slightly. The truth of the matter was that, while their encounter with Delphi was unpleasant and could have cost them their lives, it had also opened up the pathway to discovering many things about themselves. For one thing, it had given Scorpius the chance to travel to an alternate universe and see just what would happen if Voldemort had survived the Second Wizarding War, giving him the experience of being popular and evil and...well, overall what he had always thought his father had wanted, only to find out the truth in the end. Secondly, it had given him a taste of what jealousy was like, and given Albus a few much-needed knocks on the head. But, most of all, it had strengthened their friendship, and that something that Scorpius himself wouldn't change for anything in the world. It was anyone's guess just how Albus felt about it, but no doubt he was focusing more on moving on with their lives after their experience with Delphi rather than linger and reflect on it.

 _It's just as well,_ Scorpius had decided long ago. _After all, he was fooled the most, and things could have ended up completely different if Delphi had waited a bit longer before revealing herself..._

Other than Scorpius himself though, there was one other person who had yet to move on from what had happened, and that was the topic that he actually wanted to discuss: Amos Diggory. For, as Scorpius had found out after visiting St. Oswald's over the summer, the old wizard was still harboring a grudge over how things had turned out with Delphi and the Time Turners.

 _"You still could have saved my boy! No matter what you say you did or had to do or didn't do, you still could have saved him!"_ he had insisted to Scorpius, who was by far one of the only people who had still tried to make peace with him after he expressed his utter distaste for Harry Potter and the Ministry, and even dared to speak on behalf of Delphi at the trail—though no one had taken him seriously, of course. _"I already know that things could have been very worse if Voldemort lied, but why did Cedric have to die?! He was innocent, and his death will always be the fault of Harry Potter, who refused to save him!"_

Having been privy to the role of "spares" in Delphi's plan, the riddle she had lived her entire life by, Scorpius knew why Cedric's death was not only a tragedy, but an insult to his father; yet, at the same time, knew that he could do nothing about it. He and Albus had already tried to right that wrong once, and had only ended up making things worse. Now, because there really was no chance anymore for Cedric to be saved, Scorpius felt that it was his duty to at least help Amos find peace. So far, his efforts had been in vain, although the old wizard had stopped trying to hex him on sight recently, and that was a good sign.

"I think that it'll take me a while to forget, but now that we're back at Hogwarts, maybe it'll be easier," Albus commented, bringing Scorpius back from his thoughts after a period of silence between them. Because both Slytherins were so used to silence in general, especially after having been forced to spend some time apart, neither of them found it uncomfortable in the least.

"Yeah, you're right. At least now we have classes and things like that to keep us busy," Scorpius agreed.

"And prefect duties, right?" Albus prompted, grinning.

Scorpius looked away, blushing. "Y-yeah. Rose didn't seem to react much, though—do you think that she even saw the badge?"

"How could she not?" Albus snorted. "You were wearing it loud and proud for everyone to see."

Sighing, turned back to face his best friend. "You know, I've been doing a lot of thinking over this summer, and I've come to a conclusion: I don't think Rose likes me very much."

Albus blinked. "You say that like it's news to me or something. But didn't you say that you 'sowed your seeds of romance' or something at the end of last year after you asked her out and she turned you down?"

Scorpius shook his head. "I know I said that, but I figured that it was because...well, if I got into an important position or something, maybe made Rose see that I _am_ up to her standards, she'd think twice about that and maybe start acting friendlier. But earlier today, on the train, when we met up, I'm pretty sure she observed that I was also made a prefect, but it didn't seem to faze her at all. I know I can't expect changes overnight or anything, but it's hard to keep going when I've got zero encouragement to go on, you know?"

If there was one thing that Albus didn't like, it was being put in the middle of something; and, even though he had acted as a sort of mediator for Scorpius and Rose, one of the only excuses his friend had to get close to his cousin, despite the fact that it hadn't made the slightest bit of difference, he knew that Scorpius would never cross the line and directly ask him to get involved or anything. That was why, he suspected, becoming a prefect had meant so much to Scorpius until recently, and now that his enthusiasm for it was wearing down, it was a sure sign that the Slytherin was starting to have second thoughts about harboring a crush on the popular Gryffindor. As for Albus and what he chose to do, he still opted for not getting involved, but couldn't just sit by and let Scorpius depress himself like that.

"She's bound to fall for your charms eventually though, right? That's what you said yourself."

Scorpius sniffed. "Yeah, what charms?"

"Everything, obviously," Albus insisted, although in truth he was grasping at straws. "I mean, what's not to like? You're smart, thoughtful, a powerful wizard, considerate, a romantic, loyal, and, as we've found out, brave. Who wouldn't fall for you, actually?"

Scorpius stared wide-eyed at Albus for a moment, surprised that his friend had managed to list out all those qualities that he himself had never been aware of before, and with so much honesty. Maybe it was because he and Albus had always just paired up naturally together, but he had no idea that the boy had such a high opinion of him. It was flattering, and not a little bit embarrassing. As a result, Scorpius's immediate reaction was to blush, unsure what to say. Naturally, he could've complimented Albus back, but, seeing as his friend wasn't in love with anyone and showed no signs of being, he didn't need the same confidence booster. Actually, that was the one thing that Albus had that Scorpius didn't: confidence. Not as much as his brother, James, perhaps, but certainly enough to encourage his friend when he needed it.

"T-that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me, I think, and you've said a lot of nice things," Scorpius finally managed to get out.

At this, Albus blushed slightly as well as he realized it, turning away so that he wasn't facing Scorpius anymore. "Yeah," he mumbled. "Well anyway, you looked like you needed it. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Each Slytherin to his own.

* * *

Unlike her two older siblings, each of whom was already accustomed to the house he had been sorted into, Lily Potter felt out of place in Ravenclaw. She hadn't specifically asked to be put into Ravenclaw or anything, but rather, just hadn't wanted to continue upholding the family legacy by being put into Gryffindor. So, really, either Hufflepuff or Slytherin would've been just fine as well. But Ravenclaw...well, she had never had a previous opinion on it, but from the moment she had observed that she would have to answer a riddle so as to be let into the common room, it had intimidated her and made her wish that she could put the Sorting Hat back on and ask to be resorted. Her doubts were only worsened when she couldn't answer a riddle by herself and had to wait until the Ravenclaw prefects came back from their patrol. No doubt that both of them would have given Lily some sort of scolding about being out of the common room so late at night, but she had darted up to her room so fast, mortified and in tears, before either of them could get a word in edgewise.

Once upstairs, she made sure that she was careful in moving about, not making any noise so as to wake up the three other first year Ravenclaw girls with whom she shared a room. The girls were, respectively, Elena Spinnet, Laura Brewster, and Belladonna Nym. All three of them, Lily had observed, were taller than her, prettier, and definitely much smarter. Laura, who was quite the bookworm, had already been out of the common room twice to go to the library, expertly solving the riddle each time, and Bella and Elena had gone off exploring the castle, coming back in giggles after having encountered some third year boys spying on Peeves and his girlfriend. Compared to them, Lily just knew that she was inferior, and, most of all, felt utterly sure that she just didn't belong.

Lying down in bed and staring at the ceiling, she remembered the words of the Sorting Hat in her ear before it had sorted her:

 _"I can see your family line very clearly, little girl. Yes, I can also see where your talents lie. Better be_ — _"_

" _Wait, please!"_ _Lily had insisted in her mind, though remained perfectly calm on the outside, sitting up on a stool before all those people. "I don't want Gryffindor!"_

 _"Ooh, but what made you think that's what I was going to say?" the Sorting Hat asked, sounding slightly amused.  
_

 _"B-because everyone in my family's in Gryffindor, that's why. It's the obvious choice," Lily replied._

 _"Wrong again, little girl_ — _there is someone who isn't and has never been. I'll sort you into the same house I sorted them. Better me...RAVENCLAW!"_

 _And the hall had erupted in polite applause, completely different from the uproar Hugo received upon being sorted into Gryffindor..._

What had the Sorting Hat meant in saying that there was someone in her family who _wasn't_ in Gryffindor? As far back as Lily could calculate in her family tree, absolutely everyone had been sorted into that house. So then who could possibly be different? Who could possibly be...like her?

* * *

 **\- End Note -**

Whew, this is the longest chapter to date, and I hope that it can make up for the fact that it's so late! Few comments on behalf of myself to end this chapter, although I am curious to hear from the readers as to what their opinions are. This chapter, I'm sure, has presented everyone with some new perspectives into what direction this story will be going, although the main conflict in itself has yet to be introduced. If there are any predictions, I'd be glad to hear them.

Reviews, follows, and favourites are all appreciated, thank you! Please continue to support this story, and I'll have another chapter up soon.


	5. 5 - Fitting In and Locking Out

**\- A/N -**

Introductions for this chapter won't be long, don't worry. Actually, this time all I have to say is that I'm really glad that people are both following and even favouriting this story, although I do wish that I could read some more of your lovely reviews as well. Because, while it is encouraging to a writer to know that people love what they write, sometimes we also need to know the specifics, you know? If I know part of what everyone things works and what doesn't, then there's room for improvement, right?

Anyways, that's just food for thought. Ahem, moving on to the next chapter now...

* * *

 **5** — **Fitting In and Locking Out**

The next morning, Lily woke up feeling drowsy and disoriented, and it didn't take her long to figure out that her trouble falling asleep the previous night, coupled with her unfortunate experience of being locked out of the Ravenclaw common room, was the cause of it.

So far, she decided as she started to put on her robes after getting out of bed, things weren't looking so cheery for her at Hogwarts but, since her first day of classes hadn't even started yet, maybe it was safe to still be optimistic. Catching sight of Laura also getting dressed at the foot of the bed next to hers, Lily decided to try her hand at friendship, seeing as she hadn't as of yet, too quiet and shy to really put forth an effort.

"Good morning, Laura," she greeted, giving a small smile.

Laura blinked, probably not having expected her roommate to say anything, but readily returned the smile. "Good morning, er, Lily, right?"

Lily nodded. "Yep, that's me! So...do you want to go down to the Great Hall together?"

Laura furrowed her brow awkwardly. "Well, um, thanks for the offer, but I'm not planning to stick around. I never eat breakfast anyway, and once I get my timetable, I'm heading over to the library to check on more of those books I saw last night. The librarian told me that, apparently, no first year's ever tried to borrow books _that_ quickly from the library, except for this one girl years ago." Shrugging, she reached for her wand and slid it somewhere in her robes. "You could try asking Elena or Bella?" she suggested.

Lily nodded but, once Laura left, she noticed that the room was already empty, Elena and Belladonna probably having done down to the Great Hall already. Sighing, she continued dressing, after which she made her way down to the Great Hall alone, thankful that at least she hadn't gotten lost. But, then again, it wasn't her sense of direction that was weak, but rather, her intellectual capabilities at solving a riddle.

Sitting down at the Ravenclaw table, she noticed that Elena and Belladonna weren't seated anywhere at all, but instead were standing near the Gryffindor table, chatting with who Lily guessed were the third year boys they had encountered the previous night. A little ways further down the table, she also noticed Hugo, scarfing down his food just like his father, and listening to one of the boys in his house prattle on and on about something.

Everyone fit in. Everyone except her.

Looking down at the assortment of food in front of her, Lily deemed it best to at least focus on filling up her gut before she tried to face the events of the day. Just as she was about to reach for some toast, a scroll was placed down right in front of her by one of the Ravenclaw prefects, who quickly moved on to someone else, their arms full of scrolls. Curious, Lily opened the scroll before her, wondering what it was, only to be slightly disappointed, even though she hadn't been expecting anything particularly grand: her timetable. All around her, the Great Hall buzzed with activity as other people got their timetables, friends huddling together to compare what classes they had together and what classes they didn't. There was a general excitement about receiving one's timetable, it seemed, but Lily couldn't share in this, seeing as she had no friends to begin with. Still though, it wouldn't hurt to have a look at what her first class was...

Charms with Professor Flitwick. Well, that didn't seem so bad, especially seeing as Lily already knew how to do _Lumos_ and even cast a patronus—this had been one of the only pieces of magic that she had been allowed to practice before coming to Hogwarts, especially with her father particularly insisting on getting her patronus to form just right.

 _"He's had a lot of unfortunate encounters with Dementors, that's why,"_ her mother had explained. " _He just wants to make certain that you can find happiness even in the most miserable and hopeless of times."_

James's patronus was a coyote, Albus's was a lizard, and Lily's own was a groundhog. Neither James nor Albus had ever complained about their patronuses, but Lily had never felt that hers really suited her. After all, what part of her was anything like a groundhog?

 _"The form that a patronus takes doesn't really matter, as long as you can focus all of your happiness and energy into them,"_ her father always said after hearing her complain. While that may've been true in a practical sense though, Lily still remained unsatisfied.

Lately, actually, she had gone through several disappointing developments with regards to herself, so maybe a patronus that disappointed her matched perfectly.

"Hey sis, how's it going?"

Looking up, Lily was stirred out of her thoughts as none other than her brother, Albus, and his best friend, Scorpius, came over to see her. Lily was happy to see him, but at the same time noted a little disappointingly that her eldest brother hadn't saw fit to do the same. She already knew from both her parents and Albus that James didn't really bother with anyone outside of his house, and thus had avoided Albus ever since he was sorted into Slytherin, but Lily thought that it might be different, seeing as she was only in Ravenclaw and thus not a direct rival of Gryffindor house. But then, maybe James was disappointed in her for not making it into Gryffindor, just like Rose was—yeah, it hadn't taken Lily a long time to piece _that_ together.

"Hi, Albus," she greeted, scooting over so as to make room for the boys.

"Don't bother; we won't be here long,. I just wanted to know how you were doing?" Albus prompted.

Lily shrugged, forcing a smile on her face. "Alright. It's only the first day."

Albus nodded, then followed Scorpius's gaze over to the Gryffindor table, where Rose had just taken a seat after distributing her portion of the timetable scrolls. "Uh-huh. Well, I'm glad that you got what you wanted—not being sorted into Gryffindor, I mean. That makes two of us now."

Lily nodded. "Yeah, it's great."

Albus didn't look entirely convinced, but it was obvious that there wasn't enough time for him to address the matter now, particularly as Scorpius muttered the time to him, no doubt drawing his attention to the fact that they'd both be late if they didn't get a move on.

"Ok, so...good luck. I'll see you later," Albus called, turning to leave with his friend.

Lily watched as they left, side by side as inseparable best friends. Somehow, despite her father getting in the way, Albus and Scorpius had still managed to maintain a friendship and, although she had never said it, she both admired and envied them for that. After all, if it was the right person, even just one friend was enough, and that was more than she could say she had herself.

Giving a light sigh, Lily stood to leave as well, only to be confronted with Elena and Belladonna as they came to the Ravenclaw table.

"Breakfast's already over, you know," Belladonna chided as Elena grabbed a mint tart and shoved it into her mouth.

"So wuf? I'm huhngrreee," Elena said, reaching for another tart with her mouth still full.

Belladonna sighed and brushed her fingers through her wavy, silver-blonde hair. By chance, she noticed Lily, who was now wondering whether or not to try striking up a friendship with them just as she had tried with Laura, and addressed her instead.

"Morning, Potter," she greeted. "On your way to class now?"

Lily paused and nodded. "Uh-huh."

"Which class do you have?"

"Charms."

"Oh, same for us. Hey, Elen, want to go over there with Potter?" Elena nodded. "Well, what do you say?"

"J-just Lily is fine," Lily stammered, blushing as she was met with the emotionless yet confident scrutiny of Belladonna's clear blue eyes.

Belladonna nodded. "Alright then, Lily. Let's get moving." And she began leading the way out of the Great Hall, Lily and Elena at her heels.

* * *

Once in charms class, Lily found herself seated at Belladonna's left, Elena on the girl's right, and Laura several rows back, apparently not interested in conversation with the girls she shared a room with, but focusing her attention slowly on the professor at the front of the classroom. For all that Lily could tell though, he was hardly doing anything interesting, and was instead just giving a brief introduction on the many uses of charms, their importance, etc. etc.

"Merlin, I hope not every class is going to be this boring," Elena mumbled, leaning forward and placing her round face in her hands.

Belladonna shrugged, seemingly indifferent.

Lily herself also made no comment, not really sure on whether to agree or not. True, Professor Flitwick's lecture was proving quite boring, but it was rather rude to call him out on it, even if he didn't hear them, and she preferred to take things one step at a time and focus on the class at hand. After all, even with Laura's quick note-taking, her quill practically flying across her parchment behind them (she was the only one taking notes), it wasn't a guarantee that they would benefit by missing anything.

 _Rose would want me to pay attention,_ Lily thought, remembering all of the tips that her cousin had given her about Hogwarts during her free time that summer. _But, then again, Rose would want me to be in Gryffindor..._ And that was the one thing she hadn't accounted for when she had voiced her desire not to be put in Gryffindor: her cousin's disappointment. As for her parents, she knew that they wouldn't care where she was sorted, but Rose...was a different matter. Had it seemed like a double betrayal to her or something, particularly considering what had happened to Albus?

 _Well, at least Hugo's in Gryffindor. I think Rose might've had a fit if he wasn't sorted there,_ Lily concluded, then shifted her focus back to their short professor once more.

"Now, one of the most basic charms is levitation, for which only a simple incantation and wand movement is needed," Flitwick said.

"Isn't that true for _every_ spell?" Elena muttered under her breath.

"First, we will practice saying this incantation and doing the wand movement necessary. Afterwards, you may need to practice these on your own until our next class, when you will be given your first objects to levitate. The movement of the wand is the 'swish and flick'." And he demonstrated it. "The incantation is 'wingardium leviosa'. All together now..."

The class repeated both the wrist movement and the incantation separately, after which Flitwick actually demonstrated its effectiveness by levitating a piece of chalk and getting it to write on the board for him, a que for everyone, besides Laura, who was already at it, to start taking notes. While Elena scrambled to take out her quill, Lily noticed that Belladonna hadn't moved an inch, but was instead staring intently at the blackboard as the levitating piece of chalk kept on writing.

"Aren't you going to take notes?" Lily asked after a while, when three-quarters of the chalkboard was full of writing, and yet Belladonna hadn't made so much as a reach for her quill.

"I don't need to," came the curt reply, in a tone that warned Lily not to try talking to her again.

Shrugging, the Potter girl returned to her own note-taking, surprised with how quickly the class progressed after that first initial lecture. Apparently, she wasn't the only one happy to be moving on to another class.

* * *

 **\- End Note -**

I hope that no one minds too much that this entire chapter centered only on Lily. But, like James, I think that she deserves more of the spotlight among Harry's children, and so, long story short, I decided to dedicate an entire chapter to her first day at Hogwarts. My apologies if this chapter was slow-going as a result.

In the next chapter, I can promise a lot more on Rose and James, as I will be skipping past the rest of the week and moving on to the Quidditch tryouts of the weekend. So...yeah, more of a dynamic on those two, and then of course some more on Albus and Scorpius, who won't just be waiting from the sidelines or anything. I know that there still hasn't been a life-threatening conflict or anything introduced yet, but even in the original _Harry Potter_ series, some of the chapters were just dedicated to describing life at Hogwarts. I think that we can all safely say that the castle in itself is entertaining enough to read about.

As usual, reviews, follows, and favourite are all appreciated, thank you!


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